Despite a rough off-season, Odessa (Tex.) athlete and Colorado State commitment Tommey Morris is still planning on being in Fort Collins (Colo.) next summer for the start of the 2011 football season. The 6-foot, 190-pounder said this season he has lost some weight, added some speed, as well as some perspective.

According to a published report, Morris and three other Permian High School students were arrested in Sept. and charged with burglary. According to police, the students stole laptops from a home they had previously been at for a party. To his credit, Morris owned up to the charge this weekend and said the coaches at Colorado State have chosen to stand by him.

"I got in trouble with a burglary charge, but everything is fixed now," Morris said. "Colorado State stuck with me. I was just hanging around the wrong people, but I am staying on the right road so I can play football and get to Colorado State.

"My recruiting coach (Tim Duffie) said he was worried what Coach Fairchild was going to think. Then the coaches came down here and after talking to my coaches and some people here in Odessa, they said I was still the same kid I was before I got in trouble and I just made a mistake. They could tell it was me being in the wrong place at the wrong time and not that I was a bad guy."

On the field, Morris said he dropped about 15 pounds this fall and saw his 40-yard-dash time from 4.6 to the low 4.5 range and started playing some wide receiver as well as running back. In five games this year, Morris caught 25 passes for 325 yards and a touchdown. He also ran the ball nine times for 67 yards and four scores for a 4-6 Permian squad. As a Junior in the Permian offense last fall, Morris caught 30 passes for 533 yards and five touchdowns. Close to the goal line, Morris moved into the Permian backfield where he ran 46 times for 224 yards and 10 more scores.

"I dropped about 15 pounds so I could get a little faster," Morris said. "I have a lot more breakaway speed this year. I look like completely different player from last year to this year. I actually played a lot more receiver and running back, a lot more wildcat. This year I could actually get away from players.

Morris said the Colorado State coaches are telling him he can play running back and wide receiver. Basically, Morris said, they are telling him he can play anywhere he can get his hands on the ball.

While Morris committed to CSU early in the recruiting process, he said other schools may not have come after him as hard as they would have someone who had not committed. He said Missouri has talked to him about playing linebacker and TCU has recently been in contact, but he added he didn't know how serious that contact was. Morris said he will be in Fort Collins next month to give CSU a look.

"I am just getting interested in meeting the coaches," Morris said. "I have talked to a few, but I am looking forward to meeting more of them and seeing what I am getting into. I have a friend (CSU recruit Trey Cassidy) I talk to who has showed me some pictures."

In the meantime, Morris said he will be working on his speed and his grades in the off-season.

"I'll just be working on my speed and keeping my grades together so I don't jeopardize anything," Morris said.